Dark Chocolate Cake With Raspberry Butter Cream and Ganache

Submitted by Sigrun S.

"I came up with this recipe when I had vision of what my daughter's birthday cake should look and taste like. It was a very successful cake with a moist chocolatey center complemented by a nice tartness from the fresh raspberries in the butter cream. The chocolate hazelnut ganache added just a little bit of an extra touch to the sensory experience."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 30mins
• Ingredients: 22
• Yields: 12-14 Slices
• Serves: 12-14

ingredients

• 2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄4 cups sugar
• 3⁄4 cup dark cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1⁄2 cup brewed coffee or 1/2 cup espresso
• 1⁄2 cup boiling water
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 5 large egg whites
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1 1⁄2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks, at room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup fresh raspberry (plus a handful for decoration)
• 1 pinch salt
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used Callebaut)
• 4 ounces hazelnut chocolate (I used Callebaut)
• 2⁄3 cup butter (at room temperature)

directions

1. Dark Chocolate Cake:

2. Preheat oven to 300° F.
3. Line 3 9″ round baking pans with parchment paper, grease the sides with butter and set aside.
4. Combine flour, sugar, dark cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
5. Add eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil, and mix in stand mixer with the flat beater installed.
6. Add hot coffee or espresso and vanilla extract to boiling water.
7. Add to the mixture and mix well. The batter will be quite thin.
8. Divide batter evenly between the 3 cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes (the cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean).
9. Remove cakes from oven and let them cool completely.
10. While the cake is cooling, you can get started on the buttercream.

11. Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

12. Wash raspberries and let them dry completely.
13. Wash the mixer bowl and attachments. Here is a neat trick I learned — put some lemon juice on a paper towel and then wipe out your mixer bowl with it before making the meringue — this removes any trace of grease in the bowl.
14. Add egg whites and sugar to the bowl and then whisk them constantly and gently over a simmering pot of water until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
15. With the whisk attached to the stand mixer, whip the hot mixture until the meringue is thick and glossy, and — this is very important — the bottom of the bowl has reached room temperature. This process takes about 10 minutes.
16. Roughly puree the raspberries with a blender or food processor.
17. Cut the butter into cubes.
18. Method 1: Switch over to the flat beater attachment, start mixing on slow speed and add the butter one cube at a time. Keep running at slow speed until the mixture has reached a silky smooth texture (if it curdles, keep mixing and it will smooth back out). Add vanilla, buttermilk, salt, and finally the pureed raspberries while continuing to mix.

19. Chocolate-Hazelnut Ganache:

20. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler (I simply use a metal bowl over a simmering pot of water) and stir with a rubber spatula until smooth.

21. Cake Assembly:

22. Cut the domes off two of the cooled down cakes with a serrated knife (a perfect snack for the baker…).
23. Put the first cut layer down on a cake plate and spread a layer of butter cream evenly on top.
24. Put the second cut layer on top and spread another layer of butter cream evenly on its top.
25. Put the final cake layer on top, and then cover the top as well the sides of the cake with butter cream evenly.
26. Put slightly cooled ganache into a pastry bag with a thin tip or a decorating bottle fitted with a thin tip and decorate the cake with it . Make sure you have some ganache drizzling down the sides as well.
27. Use the remaining whole raspberries to finish decorating the cake.